| rdfs:comment | - Tattoos have a long history, and have over the millenia been signs of different social classes, from royalty to the rags. In more recent times, they have become associated with criminals, sailors and criminal sailors. In fiction, a tattoo can act as a shorthand for "criminal", and at times it's not that far off. Organised crime from The Yakuza to Gang-Bangers have their own codes, and prisoners tell their life stories in pictures. May be Embarrassing Tattoo when a crook goes straight. In futuristic settings, a Bar Code Tattoo may be an Orwellian variety. Examples of Tattooed Crook include:
|
| abstract | - Tattoos have a long history, and have over the millenia been signs of different social classes, from royalty to the rags. In more recent times, they have become associated with criminals, sailors and criminal sailors. In fiction, a tattoo can act as a shorthand for "criminal", and at times it's not that far off. Organised crime from The Yakuza to Gang-Bangers have their own codes, and prisoners tell their life stories in pictures. The attitudes towards tattoos has during the past decades softened, and many old pirate and prisoner tattoos have been adopted into the general lexicon of tattoos, prime example being the spider web, which depending on the bearer might have meant drug addiction, incarceration or killing a minority, but is now a fashion accessory. Still the stigma with the past backgrounds makes tattoos also popular with rebel types. Even the Rule-Abiding Rebel -- or especially the Rule-Abiding Rebel, since it does not actually require commiting illegal acts to look rebellious. There is still extreme stigma related to tattoos in Japan, as they are still closely associated with Yakuza to this day. A tattoo is still a common visual cue in Japanese media for a character of dubious morals or simply a Delinquent. May be Embarrassing Tattoo when a crook goes straight. In futuristic settings, a Bar Code Tattoo may be an Orwellian variety. Examples of Tattooed Crook include:
|
